The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 505

EXPOSITION. OHAPTER XXXD. Blihu. The name " Elihu " wa1 not u- common e.mong the Israelites. It ls found A new pen,onage is now introdnced upon among the ancestors of Se.muel (l Sam. l. the ecene, who speab in a new style and l), among the Korhite Levites of the time of David (l Ohron. xxvi. 7?!_ and e.s a Rl.mOl!t in a new language. No previous Vl\riant for Eliab, one of De.vid a brothers (l mention bas been me.de of him; no subse- Chron. xxvii. 8). The meaning of the word 'lnent notice is taken of his arguments ; and we.s, "He is my God" (1m1•~N). The son nothing is aaid of him in the historioal of :Ba.re.ohel. Baraohel is· also e. signifiaant section wherewith the work oonoludea (oh. name. It means, " Bless, 0 God," or "God ilii. 7-17). It is therafore l!OBJ'oely sur- blesses" (',N 7,:i). Both names imply the.t prising th&t some exception he.s been ta.ken the new interlocutor belonged to a family to the genuinenese of the entire peuage (oh. of monotheists. The Buzite. " Huz" and "Buz" were brothers, the sons of Nabor, xxxii.-u:x\'ii.), or that it he.s been re- Abraham's brother, by Milce.h, the daughter garded by many excellent critics e.s e.n in- of He.ran (Gen. xi. 29; xxii. 20, 21). Of terpolation illto the Book of Job, me.de by the kindred of Be.m. By " Re.m" we a.re one who W&B not the origine.l author, at a probably to understand "Aram," who wne date considerably later than the rest of the the son of Kemuel, a brother of Huz and Buz. (On the connection of Ruz and Buz composition. A modi.fiaation of this ex- with the Arabian tribes of Khazu and Bazu, treme view is suggested by M. Renan, see the comment on oh. i. 1.) Against Job who thinkl! that the origine.l author may WILi! hi.a wrath kindled, beoe.use he justified have added the pe.ssage in his old age. himself rather than God. Elihu was well- This \'iew is entitled to consideration. iatentioned; and it is perhaps not surprising that he had been shocked by some of Job's The subjeot he.s been discussed at eome expressions. Job had himself apologized for length in the lntrodnotion, so that no more them (eh. vi 26); and certainly tlley went need be stated here. We 8l'e confronted perilously near taxing God with injustice with the faot that the passage he.a oome (see eh. xL 8). Bat it is to be remembered down to us as a substantive portion of the that fina.lly God justifies Job's sayings, while condemning those of his " comforters." Book of Job, in all the Hebrew manuscripts "My wrath is kindled," he ea.ye to Eliphe.z, that have reached our time; as well &a in "against thee, and against thy two friends : e.11 the ancient versions-the Septue.gint, for ye have not spoken of me the thing that the Syriac, the Cha.ldee, the Arabic, the u right, a, my 8ef't1ant Job hatk" ( eh. xlii. 7). lEthiopic, the Vulge.te, etc. To excise it, Ver. 3.-Also against his three friends therefore, would be too bold a measure, was hi.a wrath kindled, beoause they had found no answer. Elihu thought that Job's though some modems have not Bhrunk reasoning& and complain ta admitted of being from doing so. ee.tisfe.ctorily answered, e.nd was vexed that Vere. 1---fi.-The disooUl"88 of Eliha ii the three "friends" had not made the right prefaced by a short introduction in plain replies. It is the main object of hie speech prose, explaining who he w&B, and giving to supply them. And yet had condemned J'ob. They had condemned him on wrong tLc re&BOns which actuated him in coming grounds and of sins that he had not com- forward at this point of tLe dialogue. mitted (oh. xxii. 6-9). Elihu condemns him as much (eh. xx.xiii. 9-12; xxxiv. Ver. 1.-So theae three men oeased to 7-9,eto.), but for entirely different reasons. answer J'ob. Zophar had been silenced Ver. 4.-Now Elihu had waited till Job enrlier. Eliphaz and Bildad now felt that ha.d spoken; rather, to ,pealc to Job (see the they had no more to say. They had ex- Revised Version). He had waited impa- liauBted the weapons of their armoury with- tiently until the three specie.I "friends•• out any effect, and were conscioUB that had said their say, nnd he might come for- IJotl.iirig would be gained by mere reiteration. ward without manifest presumption. :Be- All their efforts had aimed at convincing oause they were elder than he. (On the re- JoL of Bin; and he waB btill nnconviuced- spect paid to e.ge at th ia time in the la.nd 1,c rtmained righteous in his own eyes. wherein Job lived, see the comment on eh. \'er. 2..-Then wu kindled the wrath ot x:w.. 8.) aa. Xlnl, 1-22.] THE BOOK OF JOB. 1121